There are many roles that serve the construction industry. One cog that keeps this machine going is the slinger/signaller. But what exactly is a slinger/signaller? Let’s tell you.

A slinger/signaller is part of a specialist lifting team that lifts materials and personnel by cranes. They attach loads to the cranes and guide the crane drivers, using hand signals or radio communication.

But their job is much more involved than that. Let’s see exactly what the role entails.

What are the roles of a slinger/signaller?

A slinger/signaller shares a large responsibility in making sure all lifting operations get carried out safely.

A slinger/signaller’s roles involve:

1. Planning each lifting operation.
2. Carrying out of lifts.
3. Recognising and identifying potential hazards.
4. Halting the lifting operations if they see anything unsafe.
5. Checking lifting accessories and equipment.

Let’s look at these duties in more detail.

1. Planning each lifting operation.

Every lift is a risk. The aim is to minimise the risks. This could mean:

• Not doing unnecessary lifts. For example, doing lifts to look busy.
• Making sure they know exactly where the load is going before it’s sent. So that it’s not hanging in the air for longer than necessary. Or landed in the wrong place, then have to be lifted again.
• Making sure another slinger/signaller is at the other end to receive the load if it’s going far. Again, to prevent a ‘suspended load’.

The slinger/signaller might have very busy days, doing lifts on multiple levels of a high-rise building or at various different places on the site. They need to organise their lifts so that they don’t keep chasing their tails, running up and down levels unnecessarily.

2. Carry out lifting operations.

Each lift must be undertaken as safely as possible. And each lift could differ from the next.

Some things involved when carrying out lifts are:

Communicating with drivers.

Essentially, slinger/signallers are the eyes and ears of the crane operator. This is especially true when an obstruction blocks the driver’s view of the lift blind lift.

Hand signals are often used when the slinger/signaller is visible to the crane driver. This is predominately the case when mobile cranes are working on the ground. Slingers should always wear orange hard hats and hi-vis clothing. The orange is easily visible and makes the individual recognisable as a slinger.

The preferred communication option is to use handheld radios. These must be used for blind lifts.

Both hand and radio communication should be in line with BS7121, which is a code of practice provided by the British Standards Institution. This is to make the communications recognisable cross the UK.

Checking loads when they’re slightly off the ground.

When the full weight of a load is taken, before it gets sent up, the slinger/signaller will check the loads:

• To make sure they’re slung properly.
• In case loose objects are on or stuck under the load (mud, stones, hand tools, etc).
• To make sure loose parts of the load won’t fall out when the load is in the air.

3. Recognise and identify potential hazards.

Listing operations is safety critical work. Just like driving a car, there are hazards everywhere. It’s important for everyone involved to be aware of these hazards. But not just identify them. The slinger/signaller needs to act on their observations.

These hazards could include:

• People walking under loads, as well as being near loads about to be lifted.
• Vehicles or other plant moving past the lift.
• Other cranes that are in the path that the load will be lifted to.
• People, plant, or vehicles in the path of travelling ground cranes.
• People in exclusion zones.
• Windy conditions.
• Faulty equipment.

4. Halting lifting operations.

The slinger/signaller has the right to halt a lifting operation if they see something unsafe or that could affect the lift or wellbeing of others.

This might include:

• Wind conditions.
• Incorrect lifting accessories.
• Pedestrians within close proximity.
• Close to boundaries.
• Close to other cranes, machinery, or buildings.
• Communication radios not working or flat battery.
• Faulty crane.

5. Checking lifting accessories and equipment.

Because of the safety critical nature of the work, all lifting accessories and equipment should be checked and maintained regularly. The slinger/signaller has the power to report and discard equipment.

This could include:

• Damages. e.g. frayed or split slings. Or chains with stretched links.
• Out-of-date items (items where the inspection date is overdue).
• Working radios.

Is a slinger/signaller and banksman the same?

This isn’t a straightforward question to answer. The answer is yes and no.

Slinger/signallers are very often referred to as banksmen because it’s what they used to be officially called. But a banksman was a term that was used to represent a wide umbrella of roles.

The role of a banksman is to navigate the machinery and vehicles. This could mean guiding a lorry into a parking area or loading bay. It could mean safely directing an excavator from one area of a site to another, while making sure pedestrians keep clear.

Speaking of excavators, a person who would watch where an excavator was digging in case of any services that were in the ground was also called a banksman. Insert Pic of a banksman spotting an excavator.

But now, all these duties have been given their own names. A person guiding a vehicle along a road is now a ‘traffic marshal’. Someone who watches for live cables or other services during excavation is called a ‘spotter’.

And someone who attaches loads to cranes and guides them safely during lifting operations now has their own special name of a ‘slinger/signaller’.

Although slinger/signallers do direct moving cranes along roads or across sites when they use them for lifting, they need a separate ‘pick-and-carry’ qualification to do so.

The single word ‘Slinger’ is more widely used than the more formal ‘Slinger/Signaller’. But bear in mind that the single ‘Signaller’ is not relevant, as a signaller is not to be confused with someone who works for rail lines.

How to become a slinger/signaller.

There are various ways to becoming a slinger/signaller. Some people like to initially train as a plant operative first to gain site experience and learn from site slinger/signallers what the job involves before they take the next step.

But this isn’t necessary. You can go straight to training at a construction college or training centre to obtain the relevant qualification.

To learn all the details, read this ‘How to become a slinger/signaller’ article.

How much does a slinger/signaller earn?

The wage for a slinger/signaller very much depends on experience and the company you work for.

An operative with a Red Card could receive between £17 – £19 per hour, whereas a Blue Card operative could receive £20 – £23 per hour.

Hand signals

Slinger signallers use radio communication and hand signals to direct crane drivers.

Conclusion

So, you know now what a slinger/signaller is and what the role involves. If you ever fancy doing it as a profession, it takes a resilient person, but can be rewarding. You can see from this article that there is a lot involved within the role, so it’s not easy.

To get an idea of how to excel in the role, check out this How to Be a Good Slinger/Signaller article.

There’s the option of advancing to become a crane supervisor, then an Appointed Person (AP). Many people do this. Also, because of the constant work with cranes and crane drivers, a lot of slingers decide to become a crane driver as well.

Being a crane driver that has slinger/signalling experience is always useful. It’s actually a common opinion that to pass as a slinger, people should either shadow crane drivers or have some driving experience. And vice versa, that crane drivers should experience life as a slinger. It would create a better understanding of each other and make for more efficient, harmonious lifting operations.

A slinger, crane driver, supervisor, AP, among all the other trades, are all cogs that move the ever-evolving construction machine.

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There is a shortage of skilled trades in the construction industry, so it needs operatives like you. This could be your opportunity to make a significant impact while advancing your career.

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